The Trouble Is
by Pulchrite
Summary: Ren's stormy friendship with Yukihiro is too rocky. When it is tested by something that threatens to send them their separate ways, Ren must discover before it's too late what the trouble is. .:OC as a main character.:.
1. Chapter 1: Another Fight

**Chapter 1: Another Fight**

_What are you doing here? Why are you doing this to yourself?_ His thoughts raced madly through his mind almost making no sense. _Go home, Ren. Now, before anyone sees you. It's dark enough to sneak away... Wait, I don't sneak. I'm a man, I'm no coward!_ His pace back and forth along the stone walk became faster. Suddenly he stopped and looked into the moonlit sky. _But what if she sees you?_ He pondered the question for a few seconds. "I can't let her see me." He said aloud.

"Why not?" The soft voice came from somewhere behind him. He jumped, startled and humiliated.

"Who's there?" He barked. Trees and darkness surrounded him. A mysterious figure appeared from a grouping. "Show yourself now!" He couldn't control his fear, and it showed as his voice began to crack. A woman emerged from the shadow. As she slowly approached him the folds in her black nightgown flew back with the wind, and most of her face was covered by the long, thick locks of her brown hair. Ren muttered something inaudible to himself.

She moved a few strands of hair away from her face so she could get a better look at him. "The question is what are you doing outside my house especially at this time of night, Ren?" She stood silent and painfully still, waiting for an answer.

Ren stood there, thinking of something to say. "Why are you out here hiding in the trees?" He said harshly. He couldn't tell her the real reason why he was there. He didn't know.

"This is my house," she started. Her pause seemed unintentional, but she continued, "I heard noises out here and I wanted to see who was intruding." She smiled suddenly.

"What are you smirking at?" Ren didn't have a good reason for being rude, but he couldn't control it.

"You're wearing the black t-shirt I gave you. It looks good." She came a few steps closer and Ren backed away.

"I wear it to bed. It's too hideous to wear in the day when everyone can see it," he said sharply. Her smile quickly faded. The two were silent for a few seconds.

"How cruel," she said to herself but deliberately loud enough for him to hear. "I guess it really doesn't matter why you're here. Just go home." With that she walked passed him, brushing his arm with her shoulder and opened the large wooden door of her home. At the entrance she paused, as if waiting for Ren to stop her. When she looked at him, he turned to face her.

"What are you waiting for? I'm leaving. Go to bed," He thought the words came across too harshly, but he couldn't correct them because as he was making his statement, she slammed the door and quickly locked it. He turned away from the door and looked into the sky again. "Yukihiro I'm sorry," He whispered.


	2. Chapter 2: He Has A Problem

**Chapter 2: He Has a Problem**

"Where have you been? It's late," Yoh said as he walked through the front door. Yoh was sitting on the floor in front of the television.

"What are you doing up?" Ren asked him callously. He did not want to talk about his evening.

"Anna noticed you weren't here so she told me to wait up for you. I didn't think you would take this long to get back. Where did you go?"

"Go to bed, Yoh. It's none of your business." Ren headed for the stairs.

"So, you had another fight…with her?" Yoh asked slowly. Ren stopped at the third step. He did not turn around.

"Go to bed. I don't want to talk about it." Ren pleaded sadly. Yoh remained silent as he walked up the stairs.

"You're such an idiot," Yoh said under his breath when he could no longer see Ren down the hallway. He turned off the television and stretched out his arms to release a loud yawn.

"What happened?" The voice startled him

"Anna? I thought you were asleep?" Yoh said, relieved when he saw his wife walk into the room.

"I was but Ren woke me up. What happened? Is he okay?"

Yoh's smile faded. "He had another fight with her."

"What is wrong with him? Yoh, you should talk to him."

"What?" Yoh stood up, facing her with pure disgust in his eyes. "Talk to him about what?"

"You're his friend. Tell him that it's okay to have female friends in his life. Tell him that Yukihiro is a good girl and we all like her. Tell him to stop screwing this up." Anna paused for a few seconds.

"You seem to know what to say to him. Maybe you should do it." Yoh looked at her and hoped she would agree. Anna came closer to him and put her arm around his shoulders.

"Yoh, you know it has to come from you. If I tell him what's on my mind it will sound like I'm nagging. He has this thing against women and he will turn a deaf ear to anything constructive I have to say. Besides, you're his comrade. You're the one he goes to when he needs to talk to someone." She slid her arm down to his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

"He doesn't talk to me, Anna. He just comes and goes from the house. He's gone most of the time. And more importantly, he thinks I'm stupid. I can't talk to him about this; I don't know anything about it."

"Yoh, you're wrong about this. You know how to make friends. You know how to be nice to people. And, you know how to talk to Ren. If you can't do it for him, do it for me." She released him and walked away from the room.

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	3. Chapter 3: A Not So Smooth Morning

**Chapter 3: A Not So Smooth Morning**

Yoh tiptoed down the hallway while holding up his orange pajama pants. He was halfway to the end when Anna grabbed his white shirt.

"Don't be rude, Yoh. Just wake him up." She released her grip and smiled.

"Of course," Yoh whispered. He entered Ren's room and saw that he was fast asleep. Yoh couldn't see his face because his entire body head to toe was covered with three blankets.

Ren was instantly startled by the interruption of two heavy pillows hitting his head.

"Get up. Breakfast is almost ready," Yoh said. He sounded angry. He stood and waited for Ren to emerge from the cocoon of coverings. Ren jumped up out of his bed. He stood facing Yoh angrily, wearing the black t-shirt from the night before.

"You make me sick," Ren yelled, "Why did you do that? You always have to do or say something to piss me off!" Yoh's frown quickly faded. He giggled and closed his eyes.

"What now, Yoh?" Ren was incensed.

Yoh turned for the door. As he was opening it he turned and hurled an article of clothing at Ren. "Put on some pants," he said. "He's up!" Yoh yelled down the hallway as he closed the door.

Embarrassed, Ren quickly slipped on the white pajama pants Yoh threw at him. "I have to move," he sighed to himself as he walked to the bathroom.

Downstairs, the Asakura house was busy. Everyone was awake and full of energy. As Ren walked down the staircase, he wondered how he was able to sleep so long with so many people in the house. At the bottom of the stairs he was greeted with a cheerful hello.

"Good morning Ren-sama," Tamao said and smiled at him. She was in the kitchen helping Anna with breakfast. Hearing Tamao's greeting gained Anna's attention and she turned to face the opening.

"Hi Tamao, Anna," Ren said without the slightest enthusiasm.

"Breakfast will be ready soon; go and sit with the others." Anna's reply sounded irritated and she did not look at him.

Ren walked into the sitting room where Horo, Manta, and Ryu were watching television.

"Oh hi, Ren. You're finally awake," Manta said to him with a large grin on his face. "Come and sit with us."

"Hey, Ren. We thought you were dead," Horo said jokingly.

"Yes, I did not know you could sleep like that," Ryu said without raising his head. He was watching the show that was on.

"Whatever," Ren mumbled, "Where's Yoh?" He looked around into the hallway and back toward the kitchen.

"Oh, I don't know, haven't seen him in a while." Horo looked confused. "Yoh!" he screamed but there was no reply.

"I guess he just stepped out," Manta said. "He'll be back."

Horo's look of confusion quickly turned into an odd stare. Ren saw him and was immediately angry.

"What are you looking at?" Ren barked at him.

"Where did you get that shirt?" Horo stared at it as if he were being hypnotized. His stare was so bizarre that it captured the other two's attention as well.

Manta stood up and walked closer to Ren. "Have you worn that before? I've never seen it. It looks…well, it looks kind of…um" Ren groaned as Manta stumbled over his words.

"You look like a rock star." Ryu said blankly. There was an eerie silence for a few seconds followed by riotous laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Ren demanded, "I don't look like a rock star! It's just a shirt; I don't even wear it out of the house. You all are such idiots!" Ren became more infuriated the louder the laughter became.

"It's a nice shirt, Ren. I like it," Horo said between laughs, "I just didn't know you were into that kind of thing!"

"What are you talking about? What kind of thing? It's just a stupid shirt!" Ren was so angry he pulled the shirt completely off and threw it on the floor.

"Ren," Anna called behind him. He jumped, startled. He didn't know she was that close. "Put that shirt back on. You will not be eating with us with a bare chest." With that she walked back into the kitchen.

Completely frustrated, Ren snatched the shirt from Manta, who had picked it up for him and stormed into the hallway. He was almost back to the staircase when Yoh emerged from beside it.

"Ren, I need to talk to you," Yoh's voice was very low and firm.

"Not now, Yoh, I don't feel like…" Ren started.

"Now." He turned and disappeared down the hallway beside the stairs.

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	4. Chapter 4: The Talk

**Chapter 4: The Talk**

"Yoh, where are you?" Ren called out into the dim hallway, unable to see where he went. He walked slowly, looking into every room along the way.

"I'm in here." Yoh said faintly from the room at the end of the hallway. Ren followed and slid the door open. He peered inside but saw nothing but darkness. "Come on in," Yoh said from somewhere in the room. "Close the door behind you."

Reluctantly, Ren took a few steps inside the doorway and slid the door closed. "Are you going to light a candle or something," he asked, "I can't see you."

"Have a seat," Yoh said, ignoring his question.

"Have a seat where? I can't see anything." Ren began to wave his arms around through the darkness.

"Just lower your body. The floor is beneath you. I guarantee there's somewhere to sit." Yoh said with obvious amusement. Ren could hear his voice, but could not figure out where he was in the room. He decided to feel his way to the nearest wall and lean against it. When he did this he sat on the floor.

"So what do you want?" Ren asked, resting his head on the wall.

"I want you to stop what you're doing with Yukihiro."

"Yoh, you brought me in here to talk about her?" Ren became upset again.

"That's exactly what I mean." Ren could hear Yoh shift his body weight. "You have become a paranoid idiot behind her and none of us like it."

"Did you just call me an idiot?" Ren narrowed his eyes in an attempt to find him.

"And you weren't offended that I said you were paranoid?"

"If we must have this conversation, fine, but I can't see you. Light a candle. It's annoying me." Ren scratched his shoulder and then began tapping the floor with his right foot. "And what is this room anyway? Why haven't I seen it before?"

"This is my special room. It's the only one in the house where no light passes through during the day. I come here to think, meditate, or just get away from the rest of the house. If you're silent enough, you can't hear anything except your own breathing and heartbeat." Yoh released a deep sigh.

"So what does this have to do with me, or Yukihiro for that matter? Why have you revealed your 'secret room'?" Ren flinched. Suddenly, Yoh was sitting beside him.

"It's very hard to lie to yourself when it's this quiet. Your thoughts are louder than normal."

"How did you know where I was sitting?"

"I followed your voice. This room is not as big as it seems, Ren. Now stop avoiding the subject at hand and listen to me." Yoh's voice became sad.

Ren shifted his body weight to face where he thought Yoh was sitting and crossed his legs. He could only see blackness so he stared blankly ahead.

"Do you have any idea what your problem is?" Yoh asked tensely.

"I'm sure you're going to tell me." Ren rolled his eyes.

"Stop that. This is serious, Ren."

"How did you...?"

"You won't open yourself up to her. That's why everything is so awkward. You fight all of the time because you don't trust her. You don't trust her because you're insecure. She tries so hard to make it work with you; we've all seen it. But you continue to push her away," Ren could sense the aggravation in his voice. "Why do you hate her so much?"

"Is that a serious question?" Ren asked. Yoh remained silent. "I don't hate her. I just don't understand what she wants with me."

"Do you hate her company?"

"No."

"Do you want her to leave you alone?"

Ren hesitated. "No."

"Well you have to make some changes because that's exactly what will happen. You've been living here for a while now and…" Yoh started.

"So you want me to move out now?" Ren became defensive.

"I didn't say that. I won't kick you out without throwing Horo, Pirika or Tamao out too. We said you can stay as long as you want. I brought it up because you've become a stranger in the house, distancing yourself from us. I'll be honest with you; you're not one of Anna's favorite people. She knows how much you mean to me so she won't say anything, but you should know your behavior is a problem."

"Yoh, I'm not a ten year old and you're not my father." Ren suddenly felt a burning sensation in his chest.

"I'm not trying to be your father, Ren. Just a friend giving you advice you so desperately need. Listen to me before you screw this up. Do you know why my marriage is successful?" Yoh stood and paced in front of him.

"Because Anna will beat you if you don't do whatever she wants." Ren chuckled at the thought.

"Are you serious, Ren? No wonder you can't make this thing work." Ren's smile faded faster than it appeared. "Anna does not boss me around. She did when we were engaged, but that was a different level in our relationship. Our marriage is successful because I listen to her and respect her ideas. She does the same for me. We discuss our problems and never go to bed angry at each other." Yoh stood behind Ren and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Ren, you will never understand how she thinks. You will never know exactly what she's thinking or what she wants. But, you have to try to respect her feelings. Women want to be respected. I don't know if she's interested in you romantically, but if you don't make any changes you won't even have a friend."

Ren sat silently and pondered Yoh's comments.

"So, will you at least think about what I said? When you change your attitude toward her it will change in the house and we'll all be happy!" Yoh hit him hard in the back.

"Yes, I will think about it."

"Good because she should be here soon."

"What!" Ren jumped to his feet and grabbed Yoh's arm. "Who will be here soon? What are you talking about?"

"Anna invited Yukihiro over for breakfast. She should be here any minute." Yoh pulled away from Ren and walked to the door. Ren released a devastated moan. As Yoh opened the door, Ren ran past him and fled to his bedroom.

Yoh laughed in amusement. "I guess I should put some clothes on too," he said to himself.


	5. Chapter 5: Try Again

**Chapter 5: Try It Again**

When Ren came back downstairs everyone was seated around the table. Anna and Tamao were still in the kitchen, and Horo was pouring juice for everyone.

"What took you so long?" Yoh asked, smiling. Ren blushed slightly.

"You got rid of the rocker shirt. I liked it," Horo protested.

"Is Pirika back from the market yet? We need that bread," Anna called from the kitchen. As she was speaking there was a knock on the door. Ren froze. _She's here._ He thought to himself. His hands began to tremble.

"Hey Ren, come help!" Yoh called from the front door. He turned and released the breath he didn't know he was holding. It was Pirika with bags from the market. He jogged to the door and grabbed a few of them.

"Hi, Ren. Thanks for your help," Pirika said as she made her way into the house. As Yoh went to close the door she stopped him. "Wait, Yoh. Lyserg's parking the car." she said.

"Oh, okay." Yoh left the door ajar.

Horo sat the juice pitcher on the table and walked to the front door. "You said Lyserg's parking the car?" he asked.

"Yes. He saw me at the market and offered to drive me home." Pirika replied. She handed her brother one of her bags.

"Oh is that right? He just _happened_ to be in the neighborhood?" Horo said with a frown.

"Come on, Horo. Anna invited him to come this morning anyway. He was bound to pass near the market." Yoh said, patting him on the back.

Pirika ignored Horo's disgust and followed Ren to the kitchen. Tamao took the bags from them while Anna searched for bread.

"Hello everyone!" Lyserg said cheerily as he came through the door.

"Hi ya, Lyserg!" Manta called, waving at him.

"I did not know you were coming! It's so nice to see you!" Ryu said ecstatically.

Everyone said hello or greeted him in some way except Horo. He completely ignored him.

"Hi Horo." Lyserg said concerned.

"I'm hungry. Can we eat?" Horo said, walking away from him. Lyserg's expression of disappointment quickly faded when Pirika reemerged from the kitchen.

"Make yourself at home, Lyserg," she said. He smiled at her, his cheeks turning bright pink.

"Thanks." Was all he could say.

There was another knock on the door, and since Lyserg was still near it he answered it.

"Hi, Lyserg. Has breakfast started yet?" She said as he let her in the door.

"Good morning, Yukihiro. No we haven't started yet. Everyone's here that's coming, I think." Lyserg said. "Everyone, look who's here!" he called out to the rest.

Everyone in the house immediately smiled at her. She received jaunty hellos over and over again.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Anna. I had to run an errand," she said apologetically.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Anna said. She had a pleasant smile on her face and her mood was drastically different. "Come and have a seat." She said as she guided her to the table.

Tamao and Anna began placing the food out on the table. Yukihiro offered to help them, but Anna refused it saying she was a guest. Pirika made everyone get up and told them where to sit. It was agreed that Yoh and Anna would sit on the opposite ends of the table. She then directed Horo to sit on the right end beside Yoh, Ryu beside him, Manta, and then Lyserg. Across the table would be Ren, Yukihiro, Tamao, and she would sit on the end near Anna. Only Horo noticed that she seated herself directly across from Lyserg.

"Where's Ren?" Pirika asked. Everyone stopped and looked around.

"I'll go find him," Yoh said. He got up from the table and went directly to Ren's bedroom.

"He was just here a few minutes ago," Pirika said.

"Right before I got here?" Yukihiro asked. Everyone fell silent. "It's fine. If he doesn't want to see me, he doesn't have to. Maybe I should leave." She stood up suddenly.

"No. Sit down." Anna said sternly. "You are our guest. I invited you here and I want you to stay. You will eat and we will have a good time."

---

"What are you doing, Ren?" Yoh asked when he entered his room.

"I think I'm allergic to something from those bags Pirika brought in," Ren started.

"What?" Yoh couldn't believe his ears. What was more unbelievable was that Ren looked serious.

"I feel like my throat is closing up and my hands keep shaking. I might be coming down with something." Ren rambled on until he looked up and saw Yoh's expression.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Get downstairs. Now!" Yoh grabbed him by the collar and pushed him into the hallway. The force plunged Ren into the opposite wall and he groaned in irritation. Yoh grabbed him again by the arm and brought his lips to his ear.

"Or it could just be that you're scared to death. In any event, she's downstairs and wants to see you. Get down there and stop being a baby." He whispered so it wouldn't sound so harsh, but Ren was offended.

"I get the point. You think I'm a baby, running away. Let go of me." Ren jerked away and stormed down the hallway.

Yoh straightened his shirt and followed him casually down the stairs.

"There he is," Pirika announced. Everyone looked up at him except for Yukihiro, and he stared at her as he made his way down the staircase.

"So you _will_ be eating with us," Anna said with slight sarcasm.

"I apologize. I had something to take care of." Ren said slowly." Yoh nudged him hard in the middle of his back. "Hi, Yukihiro." He said reluctantly.

"Hello," she said dryly.

"Well come and sit down," Pirika said, waving him over to the table.

Yoh and Ren took their assigned seats at the table. Yukihiro shifted closer to Tamao. At breakfast the table became alive. Manta shared some stories from a few books he was reading. Horo began a discussion with Ryu on why Lyserg was spending so much time with Pirika. Lyserg and Pirika shared with the group funny things they observed while at the market. Horo was not amused. Anna and Yoh played eye tag. Tamao asked Ryu to tell a story about a road trip he had, and he could not refuse. Everyone was in enjoyment. Everyone was talking. Everyone except Ren and Yukihiro. Although they were sitting next to each other, they never looked anywhere but directly ahead and did not exchange one word of discussion. They looked absolutely miserable, and some were beginning to notice.

---

Yukihiro offered to help Anna with the dishes, and she refused it again. Instead she recruited Manta and Tamao. Yukihiro aimlessly made her way to the sitting room, where everyone else migrated after breakfast. She stood in the doorway, watching everyone talking and joking around and noticed Ren was not in the room. Her first instinct was to go and look for him but she decided against it. As she was making her way to a comfortable place on the floor she heard a voice from the doorway.

"Yukihiro, can I talk to you?" It was Ren. She looked at him in confusion but went with him anyway. The others in the room could not help but watch what was going on. That was the most Ren had said to her all day. Horo immediately rose to his feet in an attempt to follow them.

"Where are you going, Horo?" Pirika asked scornfully. "Sit down."

Yukihiro followed Ren outside and onto the grass. She was unsure of what to say to him so she decided to wait. They sat there for a few minutes in silence. She watched him as his golden eyes stared intently at the grass as if trying to set it on fire. He looked perplexed. Finally she decided she couldn't wait any longer.

"What's wrong, Ren?" she asked him.

"I will never know exactly what you're feeling or what you want," he started. He did not look at her.

"What are you talking about?" She looked confused.

"No. I mean, I'm sorry. I should not have acted the way I did last night at your house. I shouldn't have been there at all. I just needed to…" He stopped.

She hoped it was a pause, but he just stopped talking.

"You needed to what?" She sat closer to him, looking at him, her eyes pleading for him to finish his thought.

He remained silent, his eyes focused on the grass. Violet strands were beginning to cover his face, concealing his expression.

"Why were you at my house? You never told me." She said softly. Suddenly and without thinking she reached out, touched his left hand and rested it in hers.

The movement startled him and he recoiled. She broke his concentration. And scared him to death. "Please don't touch me," He said quickly as he moved away his hand.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I…" she tried to explain.

"Just don't do it again." He replied, cutting her off.

She was saddened that he was so traumatized by the slightest touch of her hand. "It's okay if you can't talk to me. I won't push it," she said sadly.

"I want to talk to you," he said, "It's just that…" He groaned, "I don't want to fight with you. I know that's all we do, but I truly don't want to do that. I want us to talk. I just don't know what to say to you."

"Okay then. Let's start over," She said with a smile.

"What?" Ren looked confused. "We can't _start_ over."

"Yes we can. Hello, name is Yukihiro," she said and stretched out her hand.

"Are you serious?" Ren was amused but sounded angry.

"Absolutely serious, Ren. We are going to make this work. Now shake my hand," she said.

Ren shook her hand and smiled. Yukihiro looked at him in shock. She had never seen him smile that way before, and whenever she did he was smiling at someone else.

"That's a first," she said, referring to his facial expression.

"Yes, let's see how long this lasts." Ren said.


	6. Chapter 6: The Truth Is

**Chapter 6: The Truth Is**

Yoh walked down the dim hallway with a frown. There was something heavy on his mind. He needed clarity. He opened the door of his special room, closed it behind him, and sat in his usual place in the middle of the floor. He paused. Something was…wrong. The air was thinner. He waited a few seconds then groaned.

"What are you doing in here, Ren?" he said angrily.

"I needed to think," Ren said solemnly.

"That's fine, but this is my room. You have to get your own special room. You can't just borrow mine every time you have to think. I would never be able to use it." Yoh scratched his head.

"That wasn't funny," Ren said sadly.

"I was serious."

"I needed to talk to you. I knew you would come in here eventually and I wanted to think about some things before you showed up." Ren sounded depressed.

"So what's wrong now? Did you have a fight with Yukihiro again? Did you insult her again?" Yoh was beginning to list negative things Ren could have done to make the situation worse when Ren stopped him.

"I know what the problem is now." Ren crawled closer to where Yoh was sitting. "I don't trust her."

"Ren, I told you that." Yoh said, "That wasn't a mystery."

"No, Yoh. I don't trust her at all. There is a reason for it." Ren's voice lowered in pitch.

"We talked about that too. You're insecure." Yoh smiled at him and was amused because he knew Ren couldn't see him.

"I'm waiting, Yoh." Ren said blankly.

Yoh was confused. "Waiting for what?"

"For her to stab me in the back. She's going to betray me. I can't let my guard down. She'll see that I'm weak and will go in for the kill." Suddenly there was a dim light in the room. Yoh lit a candle. "What did you do that for?" Ren asked.

"I had to see your face. You do know how much you've just proved my point, right? You sound delusional, Ren. And paranoid." Yoh looked concerned.

"I'm serious, Yoh." Ren started.

"Yes, I know. That's what bothers me. Why do you think she will betray you and how?"

"I can see it in her eyes. I can't explain it. I like being with her, but when we're alone something is always…wrong." Ren stared at the floor, clenching his fists. "We've been doing this for two years now, and she's still a mystery. I've never even seen the inside of her house. She's so secretive. Too secretive. Like she's hiding something."

"I think you're wrong about her, Ren. She seems so nice and we all like her. Anna is a great judge of character, and she loves her to death. I think you just let yourself get so afraid that you've set her up to be a bad person." Yoh grabbed one of Ren's fists and struggled to open it. "I'll give you this last bit of advice for the day: Don't screw this up. You like her. Stop making excuses and make it work." He released his hand and blew out the candle. "Now get out so I can think."


	7. Chapter 7: A Discovery

**Chapter 7: A Discovery**

Horo sat out on the back porch and crossed his legs. It was dark, silent, and somewhat cold. He stared up at the stars, the sapphire strands dancing against each tiny gust of wind. He was restless and frustrated. He folded his arms across his chest and regretted wearing only a thin white t-shirt and blue tartan pajama pants in the night chill. The sudden image of a nice warm blanket crossed his mind, but he was too stubborn to move. As he mulled over the pressing thoughts that brought him outside in the first place, his teeth began to chatter.

"What are you doing out here?" a voice called behind him. Unable to turn around, he could only guess who was talking to him.

"Go back to bed, Pirika." He said coldly.

"You should be in bed too. Don't you know what time it is?" Pirika approached him and placed a red blanket around his shoulders. The sudden rush of warmth was overwhelming for him and he fell back into her arms. "Are you trying to catch a cold?" she asked him.

"Thanks. Now go back to bed. I'm thinking." Horo said. He sat upright and pulled the blanket tightly around his chest and waist.

"Why don't you think inside? The house is large enough where you won't be disturbed. And just what are you thinking about anyway?" Pirika pulled on his right shoulder in an attempt to move him.

"Why are you spending so much time with Lyserg?" Horo asked.

"Please don't tell me you are loosing sleep because of Lyserg, Horo." Pirika said, annoyed.

"Just tell me what's going on. I have a right to know." Horo suddenly stood facing her.

"Is this really why you're out here? It's none of your business, but if you must know, we have become good friends." Pirika rolled her eyes at him, and he became more frustrated.

"That's not what _he_ thinks, Pirika. I've seen it. And it is my business because you're my sister. Your business is my business. So don't sit here and…" Horo ranted.

"Stop right there!" Pirika interrupted. I am old enough to make responsible decisions. You make it sound like he's a predator. You seem to forget that you two were good friends before he would even talk to me. I know you're my brother, but you're out of line here. We will NOT discuss this again." Pirika stormed back into the house, leaving Horo in the cold.

More troubled than before he went outside, Horo covered himself again in the blanket and walked further into the backyard. _She doesn't understand_, he thought to himself. He saw a squirrel dart across the yard and pondered more thoughts about Lyserg. The more the squirrel moved, the more it gained his attention.

"That sure is a big squirrel," he said aloud. He thought more about the crispness of the wind and bundled himself in the blanket. Then he thought more about Lyserg and Pirika. And then just Lyserg. And then that stupid... "That's not a squirrel!" Horo said jumping to his feet. He ran down the hill, hiding behind trees to get a closer look at this "squirrel". When he came within ten feet he stopped and smiled.

_What are you doing, Ren?_ He thought to himself.

---

Ren walked along the stone pavement slowly and grudgingly. _Why are you doing this to yourself again?_ He thought. _If you knock on the door, she won't let you in anyway._ He thought about his conversation with Yoh and then about his handshake with Yukihiro. "Maybe this will be different," he said aloud.

When he finally approached the dark, abandoned looking house he froze three steps before the front door. _What if she doesn't answer? I'm making a complete fool of myself. This can wait until the morning anyway._ He turned to leave but stopped. _No. Stop running away. You are no coward. She's just a girl. Knock._ He hit the big wooden door with his fist a few times and waited for a response. Behind the door he heard footsteps. Realizing she was about to open the door, he panicked suddenly, looked around, and dove for the nearest large tree.

Yukihiro opened the door and rubbed her eyes. "Hello?" she called out. Ren couldn't answer her. He would then have to explain why he was hiding. He then heard other movements and a muffled voice he didn't recognize. Struggling to see, he bent over on his knees and leaned forward to look.

"Who's out there?" the unknown voice asked.

"I don't know. I don't see anyone. Let's just go back to bed." Yukihiro closed the door.

Ren immediately ran to a window near the front door to catch a glimpse of this unknown person. Yukihiro's windows had a yellow glaze so it was very hard to make out anything. Instead, he could still hear them talking.

"Go to bed. Don't worry about it. It's late," Yukihiro said, yawning.

"I'm not worried. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't someone watching us." The unknown male said.

"Wait," Ren said aloud. "That sounded like...no, it can't be!"


	8. Chapter 8: Things Fall Apart

**Chapter 8: Things Fall Apart**

Yukihiro left her house early the next morning. She was supposed to meet Ren at the lake. She had quickly slipped on her long black dress, black leggings and black boots with the red wire laces and was out of the door before he knew she was awake. Worried that she would be late, she jogged most of the way, her long brown hair beating against her back and occasionally hitting her face. "I should have worn a ribbon," she groaned to herself. When she reached the lake, which was not far from her house, she sighed in exasperation. "Where is he?" she said grouchily.

---

"Ren, aren't you going to be late?" Yoh asked, concerned.

Ren did not answer him. He was sitting on the floor in his bedroom fully dressed; a pale yellow button-down collared shirt, light denim jeans, and a pair of white sneakers. He looked sadder than when they had their last discussion.

"Ren, what's wrong?" Yoh sat next to him on the floor. He felt underdressed in his usual orange pajama pants and white t-shirt.

"I don't think I can see her today," Ren said gravely.

"You have to. She's expecting you at the lake. She's probably already there now. Didn't we talk about this fear thing, Ren?" Yoh frowned at him.

"It's not that. I…Never mind. I'll be back." Ren stood and slowly walked into the hallway.

"Okay, try to have a good time," Yoh called out to him.

---

Ren was nearly at the lake when he decided he wanted answers. He ran the opposite way, toward Yukihiro's house, instead. _Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Yoh's right and I'm just paranoid,_ He thought. He slowed his pace as he approached her stone walkway. _What if I'm right about her?_ He tried to shun the thought, but it became more dominant in his mind than all of the others. When he approached the wooden door he hesitated. _Who do you think is going to answer the door? She's at the lake?_ He bit his bottom lip and knocked anyway. After a few minutes he heard noises from inside the house. His eyes opened wide. "There's someone in there." Finally, he could hear the clicking of the lock release and the wooden door began to move back. He was in shock. Someone was actually opening the door. This someone was a male, slightly taller than Ren wearing a purple t-shirt…cowboy pants…and…those boots? Ren's heart stopped. It felt like the door was opening in slow motion. The male leaned into the opening to see who was outside, his long thick brown hair free falling in front of his face.

Ren stammered. "Hao?" he whispered. The male looked at him, his big brown eyes studying his face for a few seconds. Then he leaned back and slammed the door in Ren's face.

---

"Ren, where have you been?" Yukihiro was concerned but smiled at Ren as she approached him when he came. He looked at her with pure disgust and anger. He did not say anything. "What's wrong? Is everything alright?"

He clenched his fists and said coldly, "Don't talk to me."

"What? I thought we were starting over, remember? What's gotten into you today?" Yukihiro smiled at him. She thought he was joking.

"Are you deaf?" Ren raised his voice. "I don't want you to talk to me. I came here to tell you I don't ever want to see your face again."

"What is wrong with you?" Yukihiro was confused.

"Don't insult my intelligence. You know exactly what this is about." Ren's face turned auburn with rage.

"No, I don't know. That's why I'm asking you. You are so moody." Yukihiro smiled again and hoped he would tell her he was joking. He did not smile back.

"Well if you don't know, why don't you go ask Hao?" Ren said with hatred.

Yukihiro's smile quickly morphed into a pale state of shock. "What did you say?" she asked apprehensively.

"Oh, I think you heard me. And your face says it all. Don't talk to me again." Ren made this statement while walking away.

"Ren!" Yukihiro called out to him, hoping he would come back. He ignored her and continued to walk away.

She stood in the wind watching him leave. Sadly, she looked down at her hands that were held together at her waist and allowed her hair to cover them. She stayed there for a few seconds, then put her hands back to her sides and balled them into fists. She looked ahead again, this time with vengeful eyes. "This is not over, Ren." She said aloud.


	9. Chapter 9: A Disturbing Confrontation

**Chapter 9: A Disturbing Confrontation**

Tamao was reading a book in the sitting room when she was startled by the banging from the front door. She ran to it, concerned that maybe Yoh or Horo had been injured from their walk.

"Oh, hello Yukihiro. What a lovely surpri-" Tamao started as Yukihiro stormed through the door past her.

"Where is Ren?" Yukihiro asked angrily. Tamao looked at her with anxiety. "Hi, Tamao. Where is Ren." She said with the exact same tone.

"Well, I don't exactly know," Tamao started again, attempting to give a place to start.

"REN!" Yukihiro yelled, interrupting her. Tamao gasped. She had never seen Yukihiro angry before. "Ren! Get in here NOW!"

"What's going on down here?" Anna asked as she came down the stairs. Tamao looked at her with fearful eyes.

"She's upset." Tamao mouthed the words to Anna, not wanting to set Yukihiro off further.

"Where is Ren, Anna?" Yukihiro asked, her voice becoming more aggressive.

"I don't know. You seem very upset. Sit down. Let me pour you some tea." Anna said worriedly.

"No. What I need is for Ren to get down here." Yukihiro replied through clenched teeth.

"I can see where this is going," Anna said sadly, "I'll look for him for you, but you need to stay here and calm down. I'll be back." Anna smiled weakly and went back up the stairs. Tamao watched Anna leave and panic set in. _Don't leave me down here with her! _She thought to herself.

---

"So now he's loosing sleep and acting like a jerk about it." Pirika said, irritated.

"He's just looking out for you. What do you want him to do, pretend like he doesn't care?" Ren asked.

They were sitting on the floor in the middle of Pirika's bedroom. Pirika sat directly in front of him and crossed her legs.

"I want him to use his head. It's like he doesn't trust me. He acts like Lyserg is this 'strange man' that we all know nothing about. He loved him before we became friends," Pirika sighed in aggravation.

"That was before Lyserg noticed you existed. You have to remember, it's his job to be over protective. Just be grateful he notices things happening in your life." Ren stared at her for a moment and smiled. He enjoyed Pirika's company. The short-sleeved pink collared shirt and black pants she wore amused him. She looked like a pop singer. His mind wandered to past conversations they had in her room. She made him feel comfortable. She made him feel safe.

"It doesn't bother him that we've become friends, Ren." Pirika said, breaking his daydream, "and we spend much more time together than Lyserg and I do." Pirika crawled behind him and wrapped her arms around his own.

"Yes, but I don't blush every time you enter the same room I'm in, and I definitely don't look at you the way he does," Ren replied.

"I hope we can get past this," Pirika said, ignoring Ren's comment, "I don't want him to be mad at me, but I want him to trust my judgment. How was the lake, by the way? You got back earlier than I expected."

Ren quickly frowned. "I don't want to talk about that." He said.

"What happened? Did you two fight again?" she asked.

"That part of my life is done. I don't want to discuss it." Ren said, holding one of her hands. Pirika laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"You mean we won't see her again? Like it's over?" she asked dreadfully. She sat in front of him again this time holding both of his hands.

"Yukihiro will not be coming here anymore. Let's change the subject," Ren said, squeezing one of her hands slightly. They were abruptly startled by Pirika's door bursting open.

"Ren, I need you downstairs," Anna said anxiously.

"I'm busy." Ren replied.

"Ren, come downstairs now. It's very important." Anna said again before slamming the door.

Ren groaned. "She's here," he said.

Pirika put her hands on the sides of his head and gently kissed him on the forehead. "Go talk to her and work this out, Ren." She smiled and followed him as he reluctantly headed for her door.

Ren and Pirika slowly walked down the stairs and saw Anna standing near the kitchen. When Anna saw them, she walked over to Tamao, who was covering glass items with blankets, and grabbed her hand.

"You two need some privacy," Anna said austerely. She pulled Tamao with her and motioned for Pirika to follow them.

Yukihiro stood in the middle of the floor motionless, glaring angrily at Ren.

"What are you doing here?" Ren asked coldly. "I thought I made myself clear. When I said I didn't want to see you ever again, I meant don't come to my house." His words were greeted and almost interrupted by the impact her hand made with his face.

He lost his footing for a few seconds but regained it quickly and stared back at her. He was in pain, but he refused to appear affected.

"You will not talk to me that way." Yukihiro snarled, "And you will not dismiss me."

"I have nothing to say to you," Ren said.

"Good because I didn't come to hear you berate me. You can't just tell me you're done and leave. If we were ever friends, we would be able to talk. You had no right to say the things you said to me today." She began to rant about his behavior and he interrupted.

"You really have some nerve coming here and telling me that I'm wrong. Are you going to tell me Hao's not at your house right now?" Ren spat.

"This has nothing to do with him, Ren." Yukihiro raised her voice in annoyance.

"No, this has EVERYTHING to do with him!" Ren yelled.

"Don't yell at me," Yukihiro said calmly.

"Why is he there? Just tell me that at least." Ren said at a slightly lower tone.

"That's none of your business." Yukihiro's eyes narrowed.

"I told you about my past. That was the one thing I opened up to you about, and you just failed to mention all of this time that you know him?" Ren yelled again. "You didn't think it would bother me to see him at your house? Oh wait. I've never seen the inside of your house. Maybe that's why. What was he doing there?"

"He lives there." She growled.

Ren was floored. For a few seconds he couldn't say anything. The shock was quickly substituted with absolute wrath.

"You have betrayed me worse than anyone ever could." Ren started slowly.

"What?" Yukihiro was angry and annoyed, which proved to be a terrible combination.

"You know that I HATE him! And he LIVES with you?" Ren screamed. "How could we start over? How could we be anything to each other with that kind of lie over our heads? I don't trust you, and now I know why. You won't tell me, so I can't imagine what would possess you to allow that worthless piece of…" he was interrupted. She slapped him again. The pain shot through his entire body and the look on his face showed it. It stunned him.

"Don't you ever speak that way about Hao again," she said slowly. Ren looked at her in shock. "I will not allow you to disrespect him in that way."

Ren struggled to speak, but he only moved his mouth because he was unable to come up with something to say.

"I understand you may be a _little_ upset right now," she put an extreme amount of emphasis on the word "little", "but when you finish a sentence like that about Hao that is when I knock all of your teeth out."

Ren stared at her in disbelief. She did not blink, and she was standing closer to his face. He backed away from her a few steps.

"You need to leave," he said. "There is no point in this anymore."

"I have tried everything in my power to make this work and all you do is tear it down. I am so sick of you!" she screamed. "If you want me gone, I'm gone! And another thing, why don't you stop coming to my house every night and sitting at my doorstep like a stalker!" She pushed him back and turned toward the door.

Ren was deeply offended by the comment. Although it was true, she didn't have to say it. "That's why I **_hate_** you." He regretted the words as soon as they spilled out.

She was in the doorway when she heard them and she turned around. Looking at him again, her eyes were filled with tears. She blinked twice then walked away again, slamming the door.

Tamao, Anna, and Pirika reemerged from the hallway beside the stairs. They heard the entire conversation. Ren heard them but did not turn around.

"I do not want to talk about it," he said despondently. He then walked passed them solemnly and headed upstairs to his bedroom.


	10. Chapter 10: Regroup

**Chapter 10: Regroup**

"Why does every one come to me for advice?" Yoh asked, "Just because I'm married doesn't mean I know everything about life. I'm no therapist."

"Who else am I going to talk to, Yoh? Every time Ren and I talk like this he yells at me," Horo replied.

Yoh laughed, "That doesn't surprise me at all. Okay. Lay it on me."

They were on their way home from their walk. Yoh knew something was bothering Horo but didn't want to ask because he knew it would turn into a session.

"Well Lyserg and Pirika have been spend…" Horo started. Yoh interrupted him.

"I knew it. Here's my advice. Don't hold on so tight to her. Lyserg's a good man and he won't take advantage of her. They're friends; let them be friends."

"I don't like it, Yoh." Horo frowned.

"Something tells me you'll never like it. That doesn't make you right about the situation. You have to trust her or you will push her away." Yoh pat him on the back.

"I trust her. I don't trust him."

"Since when?" Yoh laughed. "We're talking about Lyserg, here. Now you're beginning to sound overbearing."

"I have my reasons, Yoh. You don't know him like I do," Horo stared blankly ahead and his pace slowed.

"I am not going to touch that, but it sounds like you should talk to him about your issue." Yoh looked concerned.

"No way," Horo replied speeding up again, "That's out of the question."

"Well, you should definitely talk to Pirika. You want her to understand where you're coming from, but she needs to know you trust her," Yoh caught up with him. They reached the house and stopped on the front porch. "Just go in there and try to find common ground with her," Yoh said.

Horo opened the door and the two walked inside the house. Tamao was in the sitting room and no one else was downstairs.

"We're back," Horo called to her.

"Welcome back," Tamao said dryly. She did not leave the sitting room, which was unusual behavior for her.

"Hi Tamao," Yoh called. He waited for her to come in and greet them.

"Hi Yoh," she called back from the sitting room.

"Well come in here and talk to us!" Horo yelled. Tamao emerged slowly from the sitting room and approached the two of them.

"What's wrong?" Yoh could tell she was sad. Suddenly she began crying.

"Ren and Yukihiro had a terrible fight and now they hate each other! I just don't know what to do. It was horrible!" she began sobbing loudly and Yoh embraced her in a comforting hug.

Horo rolled his eyes.

"There's nothing you can do, Tamao. Don't worry about it. I'm sure you tried to help them. Where are they now?" Yoh rubbed her back slowly.

Horo groaned.

"Yukihiro left. Ren went upstairs and I've been hearing loud noises ever since. Oh, I feel so bad for them!" Tamao buried her head in his neck and sighed.

"Enough already," Horo said under his breath.

Yoh released her and held her hands. "This will work out, Tamao. Don't worry. I'll go find Ren now and see if he'll talk to me." He turned and headed up the stairs.

"What are you looking at?" Tamao asked. Horo was staring at her.

"You sure laid that on thick, didn't you?" he replied.

"What?" she looked puzzled.

"Oh come on! You can't fool me." He began mocking her. "'Oh Yoh I'm so scared! Hold me and make the pain go away! Where's Anna?'" he laughed at his comments.

Tamao punched him hard in the shoulder. "I don't appreciate you implying that I'm after Yoh. He and I are friends and I respect him dearly. I love and respect Anna as well and would never do anything that deceptive or tacky to either of them." She cut her eyes at him and walked back to the sitting room.

"You're not over it," Horo said, hoping she heard him.

---

When Yoh reached Ren's bedroom, Pirika was sitting in front of his door on the floor. She had been crying as well.

"Oh, Yoh! He won't let me in. He's been in there for two hours now breaking and throwing things and yelling and screaming at anyone who touches the door. I'm scared for him." Pirika stood and wiped her eyes.

"Go downstairs and talk to your brother. I'll try to talk to Ren." Yoh replied. Pirika obeyed and slowly walked down the hallway.

Yoh leaned against the door and knocked. "Ren, I'm coming in there," he said. There was no answer. He opened the door and saw the destruction Ren caused. There was broken glass, shredded paper, clothing and other items he didn't recognize plastering his entire room. After a few seconds he noticed Ren sitting in a far corner with his knees bent staring blankly at the floor.

---

Pirika saw Horo antagonizing Tamao in the sitting room so she darted in the kitchen, hoping he wouldn't see her.

"Pirika!" he called.

"Yes, Horo? What is it?" Pirika asked, defeated. Horo entered the kitchen and smiled weakly.

"I just wanted you to know that I trust you," he said.

"What?" she was surprised.

"I know you're smart and can make the right decisions. I also know that you and Lyserg are friends and I won't stand in the way of that. If you're happy, so am I." Horo looked as if he were in pain, for it took a tremendous amount of it to say those words.

"Really?" Pirika asked excitedly.

"Yeah!" Horo said sarcastically although she didn't catch it, "Now go call him so you two can go do…what ever it is you do." He waved her off but she attacked him in a bear hug.

"Thank you, Horo!" she said and ran to her room.

"Please don't make me regret this," he said aloud.

---

Hao kicked her bedroom door open. Yukihiro was sitting on the floor curled in a tight ball.

"Stop crying." He said coldly. She did not look up at him.

"Go away! Leave me alone!" She sobbed.

He approached her slowly and stood over her. She didn't look but could sense he was close.

"I said go away!" she cried again.

"You know I won't," he replied, "I can't bear to see you cry. You know that." He sat beside her and ran his fingers through her hair. She knew he wouldn't leave her there. She knew he would never leave. She gave in.

Yukihiro fell into his arms and began crying hysterically. He sat there, running his fingers up and down her arm, and rested his head on top of hers.

"Do you seriously want to waste all of this energy on a man like Tao?" he asked her softly, "I told you a long time ago you didn't need any more friends."

"He said he hates me," she said abruptly. Yukihiro was hurt by Ren's statement whether he meant it or not.

"Good. That means he won't come around anymore." Hao replied.

She pinched him in the side in protest.

"I'm serious. You know I hate him. He's too arrogant for his own good. The world would be better off without him." Hao ranted.

"Don't say that," Yukihiro said, "He's not arrogant, just paranoid. There's a difference. You should know."

"It doesn't matter. I'm the only one you need." He replied.

"How did he know you were here?" she asked, ignoring him, "We've never talked about you."

"He came by the house. I opened the door to see who was there and went on my way."

"You slammed the door in his face?" Yukihiro sighed loudly. "Why did you do that?"

"Oh stop it. I did you a favor. I did what you didn't have the courage to do two years ago." Hao pulled her hair.

"Ouch! I hate when you do that. You're going to pull it out. That was so mean! I can't believe you did that to him! There's no wonder he's angry." She ranted.

"That's it. I don't want to talk about it anymore," Hao said, releasing her and forcing them both to stand up, "From now on, there's no more talk of Ren in this house, understood?"

"Fine," she said halfheartedly.

"I mean it. I don't want to hear his name again." Hao looked at her with serious eyes and did not blink for a few moments.

"Ren, who?" she said.

"Good. Now where's my poncho?"

"What?" Yukihiro was caught off guard by this random question.

"You did all of the laundry a few days ago so it should have turned up. I've looked all over this house and I can't find it." Hao frowned.

Yukihiro laughed in amusement. He smiled at her.

"Well it's good to see you smile again," he said.

"Yes. Thank you," she replied. He stared at her for a few seconds.

"Seriously, where is it?"

---

"Tell me what happened, Ren." Yoh said to him. He did not respond. Yoh walked closer to him, carefully stepping over the debris. "Ren talk to me." He tried again.

"She's not coming back," Ren said gloomily. He did not look at Yoh.

"What happened, Ren? Tamao said you had a fight?" Yoh sat in front of him on the floor.

"It was more than a fight, Yoh. I found out I was right about her all along." He suddenly glared at Yoh angrily. "I don't know why I listened to you in the first place."

"Are you trying to tell me that this is my fault, Ren?" Yoh frowned.

"I didn't say that. I can't trust her. She betrayed me. Just like I knew she would. And you said I was paranoid." Ren stared at the floor again.

"What did she do?"

"It's not what she did, it's what she didn't do," Ren started.

"Oh, this should be good." Yoh said under his breath.

"All this time she didn't tell me. She didn't even mention it," Ren said, biting his bottom lip.

"What are you talking about? Just tell me." Yoh grew impatient.

"Hao lives with her." Ren's eyes glowed with hatred.

"And you had a fight because of that?" Yoh asked.

Ren looked at him in annoyance. "It's a big deal, Yoh; do not trivialize this."

"Okay, so she didn't tell you. That's not a good reason to just call it quits," Yoh said.

"I can't believe you're taking her side!" Ren screamed. "It doesn't bother you in the least that HAO lives with her?"

Yoh sat and stared at the floor for a few seconds. "No, not really." He replied.

Ren released a loud sigh. "I don't even know why I'm surprised by that," he said. "Here's a news bulletin for you, Yoh; it should bother you! She kept this from me. For two years she's been lying to me. How can you just act like it's nothing?"

"I don't think you're being fair," Yoh said, "You say she kept this from you, but it's not like you two know everything about each other. You didn't tell her the entire first year about that terrible crush you had on Pirika."

"I have **NEVER** had a crush on Pirika," Ren growled.

"Whatever," Yoh rolled his eyes, "The point is you both have secrets. For some reason, she didn't feel the need to tell you this. Maybe she didn't think it was any of your business. You should talk to her again and try to work this out."

"There's no working this out, Yoh." Ren sighed. "I won't see her again."

"I don't know why you keep doing this Ren. You need to be honest with yourself and figure out why you keep pushing her away. Then go talk to her again." Yoh stood up and kicked him in the leg. "I'm not going to keep bailing you out." He sighed, thinking Ren heard absolutely nothing he said then slowly made his trek across the debris and out of Ren's room.


	11. Chapter 11: Making Some Sense of It

**Chapter 11: Making Some Sense of It**

Yoh sighed as he was folding the blankets in his bedroom. The house had been too quiet. He paced back and forth in front of their bed and bit his fingernails.

"What are you thinking about, Yoh?" Anna asked him. She had been sitting on the bed and stood to get him to stop walking.

"He hasn't left his room in three days. No one's heard from him. He could be dead in there for all we know." Yoh paced faster, focusing his eyes on the floor.

"I'll go talk to him." Anna said, walking to the bedroom door.

"Are you sure about that? You're the one who said…" Yoh started.

"I know what I said, but he needs to talk to someone else besides you now. It'll be fine. Go and see if you can help Tamao with dinner." She kissed him on the cheek and opened the door.

"Okay. Be careful. I don't want him to bite your head off," Yoh said as they walked down the hallway.

Ren heard someone knocking on his door but ignored it. He was sitting in a different corner of the room but was in the same clothes as when Yoh left him. The knocking continued, hurting his ears.

"Go AWAY!" he screamed. The door opened instead. Anna calmly walked inside his bedroom and closed the door behind her.

"I thought I said go away," he complained without looking at her.

"Ren you've been in here for three days and we're all worried about you." Anna started.

"I want to be alone!" he screamed at her.

"Well, obviously." she said. He seemed surprised by her reply.

"I know you heard the fight because you had to be nosey. You know why I'm angry. Don't come in here and start trying to analyze me. I want you to get out." Ren did not look at her.

"This ends right now," she said under her breath.

"What?" he asked.

Suddenly she threw an unidentified object at him, narrowly missing his face. He dodged it and clenched his teeth.

"GET UP!" she screamed. "Stop sitting in here feeling sorry for yourself. You screwed this up! Don't take it out on everyone else! So Hao lives with her. I don't like it either but it's her business. Something is seriously wrong with you."

Ren was speechless and looked at her for an explanation on why she was attacking him. He opened his mouth to reply but she continued.

"You have done nothing but take all of your ridiculous insecurities out on her! I can't believe she has still been talking to you all of this time. Stop looking at her as the problem. You're the problem, Ren! Now get up, clean this filthy room," she threw a heap of clothing at him, "and take a bath- You stink!"

Ren's hands began to tremble. He looked at her again, this time as if he had been stabbed.

"I'm sorry that sounded so harsh, Ren." She said, "But you needed to hear it. Yoh's not going to tell you the truth about yourself because he doesn't see it. Ren, you are scared to death of something. You have to figure out what it is and fix it, then go talk to her again. She is scaring you and you need to find out why for both your sakes." She smiled weakly at him then left.

---

"Hey Tamao," Yoh called. She was in the kitchen pouring a glass of water.

"Hi." She said. When Yoh reached the kitchen he smiled at her and looked around the room.

"So what's for dinner?" Yoh asked, smiling.

"I don't know yet." Tamao replied uneasily. She was uncomfortable and he noticed.

"Is everything alright? Did I miss something?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Yoh. What are you doing down here anyway? I thought you were with Anna." Tamao responded while backing away with each forwarding step he took.

"She asked me to help you with dinner." He noticed she was moving away from him, "Tamao, what's wrong?" he was bothered by her actions.

"Nothing's wrong, Yoh. I don't know what we will have yet, so I don't need any help. Thanks anyway." Tamao replied. She looked everywhere except directly at him and she rocked her weight from side to side on her feet.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Yoh asked. "You seem tense."

"I'm fine. I just need to be alone." Tamao said walking past him quickly.

"Is this about Ren?" Yoh asked suddenly. Tamao stopped and faced him.

"Um, yes. I just feel terrible for him right now." She said abruptly. He knew she was lying but did not protest.

"Well as long as you're alright. Don't worry about Ren. He'll be fine." Yoh said. He put his hand on her shoulder, which she did not welcome warmly, and walked to the sitting room.

---

Horo knocked on Ren's bedroom door uneasily. He wasn't sure how to approach him because he hadn't seen him since before his fight with Yukihiro. After hearing a faint "Come in", he slowly opened the door.

Ren did not look up to see who was entering his room. He was too busy with his work. Horo watched as he was throwing away paper, folding clothes and carefully picking glass from the floor. He couldn't believe it. Ren was cleaning his room.

"Ren?" Horo called out to him, "Do you want some help?" He didn't know what else to say to him.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks anyway." was the reply. Horo had to blink at him a few times. _Did he just thank me?_ He thought to himself.

"Have you been drinking?" Horo asked him suddenly. Ren paused at his work to look up at him.

"Why would you ask me that?" he replied. "I don't drink. You know that."

"You just seem different…" Horo started again.

Ren stood up and stared at the wall past him. Horo could sense the intensity in his eyes. "I know what the trouble is now," he said slowly. "I know what I've been running from and it's time for me to be honest with myself and with her."

Horo didn't know what this meant but smiled anyway. "Good, you're going to try talking to her again. I knew you two were just friends, but I just always thought you would become something more at some point." He said happily.

Ren did not respond to this comment but smiled at him instead.

---

"It's such a beautiful day," Pirika said after taking a deep breath. She and Lyserg were at the lakeside, sitting on a red blanket.

"I agree," Lyserg looked over at her and smiled.

"Tell me something," Pirika started, changing her tone.

"Sure, anything."

"Why don't you and my brother get along anymore?" she shifted on the blanket and crossed her legs so she could face him.

Lyserg's smile faded suddenly and he sighed. "I honestly don't know." he replied. She was caught off guard by his answer; she had expected a revelation of some sort.

"You have no idea why he doesn't like you?" she asked challengingly.

"He doesn't like me? I just thought maybe he has been down lately." Lyserg bit his bottom lip as he pondered the thought.

"There's obviously something you don't know. You two should talk." Pirika said worriedly.

"That may not be wise." Lyserg said with a frown. "He probably knows how I feel and it bothers him. I have to say I didn't expect it."

"What are you talking about?" Pirika asked, befuddled.

Lyserg stared ahead and drifted into some unknown daydream. She watched him as the lingering thought consumed his attention. This time also made her realize things about him she didn't notice before. Her eyes followed the wind as it stirred the emerald strands of his hair and blew at the collar of his green polo shirt. She examined his green eyes carefully as they stared warmly at the lake. Blinking her eyes a few times she came to an accurate conclusion: Lyserg was beautiful.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked finally, breaking his concentration.

"The most beautiful woman I have ever seen." He said without looking at her.

"Wow, do I know her?" Pirika wasn't sure exactly who he was referring to, but she hoped it was someone ugly.

"You should," he said with a smile. Pirika suddenly felt a loss of air between them as if the blanket was shrinking. When she finally realized he was sitting closer to her, she pulled away.

"Are you trying to kiss me?" she asked him.

"What? No…I um…definitely not…why would you think…um…" Lyserg blushed as he struggled to come up with an answer to this question.

Pirika watched him in amusement as he stumbled over his words and found herself blushing as well. She then leaned forward slowly and gently pressed her lips against his.

This impromptu kiss was so shocking to Lyserg that his bottom lip quivered when she pulled back. He stared at her expressionless for a few seconds and was unable to speak.

"You can kiss me if you want," she said with a smile, "I don't mind."

"I'm in love with you." He said simply.

"WHAT?" She was expecting him to kiss her back, or to compliment her in some way. She wasn't expecting him to say something that intense, especially without hesitation. Before she could analyze the situation thoroughly in her mind she was responding. "I love you too."

Lyserg looked at her for a few minutes blankly and then slowly smiled. He passionately returned her kiss then embraced her in a warm hug.

Pirika rested her chin on his shoulder and stared wide eyed at the blanket below them. _What have I done!_ She thought to herself.

---

"What are you doing out here?" Horo said as he sat down on the grass in the back yard.

"I needed to think," Tamao responded dryly.

"You won't believe what Ren's doing right now," Horo started. He then noticed the puffiness around her eyes. She had been crying. "What's wrong?" he asked with much concern.

"I said I needed to think," she replied again.

"Is this about the other day? I already apologized to you for that." Horo sighed.

"No you didn't," she groaned.

"Well, that's because I meant every word. Maybe you're crying because you know I'm right. Come on, Tamao. He's not here now; you can be honest with me." Horo sat closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

Tamao mumbled something under her breath and pushed his arm away. "Get away from me," she said coldly, "You're not right all of the time. In fact, you're never right. This isn't about Yoh. I've been over him for a while now and I don't appreciate you bringing it up like this all of the time."

Horo rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "Fine. We don't have to talk about it of you don't want to. If that's not why you're upset, then what's wrong?" he moved close to her again being careful not to touch her.

"I don't understand why Hao would be living with Yukihiro, and why she would keep something like that from Ren. Doesn't that seem weird?" Tamao said as she crossed her legs.

"That's not why you were crying, but I'll play along." Horo said under his breath, "I didn't know they were living together. I didn't know they knew each other. That's weird." He said with a frown.

"I know. It all came out when they had that fight. Ren was devastated. You know how much he hates him. It just makes you wonder what she's hiding." Tamao scratched her head.

Horo watched her as she shifted her body weight several times to get comfortable. _What a way to take the attention off of the real subjec_t, he thought to himself. "What do you think she's hiding?" he asked.

"Do you think they're a couple?" Tamao asked timidly.

"What? No way! She's with Ren. They say they're just friends, but come on." Horo replied excitedly.

"I don't know. I just need more information and more time to think about it all." Tamao said gravely.

"If you feel you must," Horo said sarcastically.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tamao asked angrily.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to let the Yoh thing go?" Horo asked raising his voice.

Tamao stood quickly and stormed toward the house. "Why don't you go find Pirika so you can harass her? I don't feel like it today!" she said as she slammed the back door.

---

Ren knocked on Anna's bedroom door timorously as if he were about to face punishment. When he received permission to open the door he only cracked it and stood in the hallway.

"Anna?" He called. "Can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

After a few moments Anna emerged from behind the door and joined him in the hallway. "Sure," she said. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for saving me from myself." Ren started. "I feel like such a fool."

"Don't say that, Ren." Anna held his hand and smiled. "You were angry and you don't handle that emotion well. I'm glad you're alright now. Are you going to her house?"

"Yes. I have to tell her the truth." Ren said.

"Good. I hope it goes well." Anna squeezed his hand and he smiled at her.

"Tell Yoh I'll be back later," he said.


	12. Chapter 12: Suffocating

**Chapter 12: Suffocating**

Ren slowly walked through the forest deep in thought. He wanted to make sure she understood him and he didn't want to mess things up again. "I have to make this work," he said aloud. The wind picked up in speed and rustled his hair around his face and neck. He could hear thunder in the distance. "How fitting. It's about to rain," he said. _Don't say things like that,_ he thought. _This will work out. I hope._ His heartbeat increased its rate when he reached her stone walkway. "Don't blow this." He said aloud as he knocked on her wooden door.

Much to Ren's disappointment, Hao answered the door. "What do you want?" he asked coldly.

"I need to talk to Yukihiro," Ren said calmly.

"She's busy," Hao spat then slammed the door in his face.

Immediately Ren felt defeated, but he decided to stay anyway. He knocked on the door again, except this time he didn't stop until the door reopened.

"WHAT!" Hao screamed.

"I'm not leaving until I talk to Yukihiro." Ren said.

"You're beginning to irritate me, Ren." Hao said as he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. "'She's busy' was code for she doesn't want to see you. I was trying to do you a favor. Go home."

"I'm not leaving until I talk to her," Ren said again in the same tone.

"How persistent. I guess that's how all overly arrogant men are." Hao said with a smile. "Don't you have someone else to harass?"

"I need to talk to her, Hao. I need her to understand how I feel." Ren began pleading with him.

"I think she knows enough. Don't you think she's tired of you and your problems? She's not a therapist. Go talk to Yoh; I'm sure he enjoys giving you advice." Hao began grinding his teeth.

"I just need her to know…" Ren started.

"What do you need her to know, Ren?" Hao asked rolling his eyes.

"I love her." He said slowly.

Hao stared at him blankly for a few seconds then swiftly punched him in the face. The force knocked Ren to the ground and he winced in pain.

"Get up," Hao said coldly as he paced back and forth in front of him.

"I don't want to fight you, Hao." Ren said while holding his face.

"That's a first. You don't want to fight me? It's probably smart of you to say anyway. This is a fight you can't win. GET UP." Hao's pace became faster as he stared down at Ren angrily.

Ren struggled to his feet again. "I know you may feel like you need to protect her, but this isn't necessary." He said.

"What do you think I've been doing for two years?" Hao sneered. "It's hard to keep her safe when she continues to run for the slaughter. I'm giving you the chance to go home in one piece. You're not doing any more damage today." He stepped closer to Ren's face.

"What's going on out here?" Yukihiro asked from the front door. Hao quickly turned around as if trying to hide Ren.

"Nothing. Go back inside." He said.

"Ren, what are you doing here?" she asked, noticing he was standing behind Hao. "What happened to your face?" she glanced at Hao again, "Never mind."

"Yukihiro, I need to talk to you." Ren said, stepping in front of Hao.

"We don't have anything to talk about, Ren. You shouldn't be here." She said.

"You heard what she said. Go home." Hao said.

"Please, just a few minutes?" Ren pleaded.

"Hao, give us some time." Yukihiro said. Hao looked at her angrily.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"This won't take long." She replied. Hao mumbled something under his breath and walked past Ren, deliberately pushing him in the shoulder. He then went inside the house and slammed the door.

"What do you want?" She asked. Ren couldn't tell her mood.

"Yukihiro, I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't have talked to you the way I did, and I should have trusted you enough to tell you I was upset." He started.

"You always say that, Ren." She replied.

He was surprised by her comment but continued. "I want to make things right between us. Tell me what I can do to fix this."

"You can't fix it, Ren." She said. "In case you haven't noticed, this 'thing' is beyond repair. There's nothing to fix because there's nothing left of it." She paused. "Are you done because I have much to say?"

Ren didn't respond.

"I can't live like this anymore. I don't want you to dump all of your baggage on me, so I've decided to stand up on my two feet and shake the mud off. I can't fit in your box, Ren. I'm suffocating. I'm not right for you. I'm not good enough for you. I don't care what you say; I never will be."

"That's not true, Yukihiro." Ren said. "You're not the problem; I am. I see that now. I was too paranoid to figure it out, but now I know how much you mean to me. I can't lose you."

She laughed. Ren looked at her confused. "You've already lost me, Ren. I've been gone for a while, you just couldn't see it. You know what? I'm actually glad you came here, because now I can get something off my chest that has been sitting way too long," she said as she opened her door and stepped back into the threshold.

"What's that?" Ren asked.

She frowned at him briefly then slammed the door in his face.

Ren quickly beat on the door with both hands. Yukihiro sat on the other side of the door on the floor.

"Go home, Ren!" she screamed.

"No, I'm not leaving! Please open the door! Don't do this, Yukihiro!" Ren pleaded.

"Go away!" she screamed again.

"I can't lose you! Just open the door! Please! I love you!" he pleaded.

"Don't say that." She whispered.

"Yukihiro, please open the door!" Ren pleaded again.

"I said go away, Ren! I HATE YOU!" she cried.

Ren paused for a moment. "You don't mean that," he said weakly. Then he continued.

She couldn't stand it. The beating on the door. Him pleading for her to open it. Telling her he loved her. It was too much. She ran. She fled upstairs to her bedroom and buried herself in the pillows on her bed, sobbing hysterically.

A few minutes later, the beating stopped. He knew she was no longer on the other side of the door. He knew she was gone. He rested his forehead on the wood for a few seconds and closed his eyes. Then he slowly walked down the stone path toward home.

A few drops of water fell on his black polo shirt and purple trousers. He was not going to beat the rain, and he did not quicken his pace. Suddenly, the sky emptied itself upon him. The rain completely soaked his clothes and rolled off of his black boots. The weight of the water cut apart his violet spike and sent his hair dangling around his shoulders and neck. He welcomed the rain. It hid his tears.

Everyone was waiting for him at the house and was worried he would be caught in the rain. Anna, Tamao, and Pirika were in the sitting room when they heard the front door.

"He's here!" Pirika said excitedly.

Anna was first to the door, her smile quickly morphing to absolute sadness when he came in. She turned to the other girls without looking away from Ren. "Go get some dry towels. Hurry!" she said. They both ran upstairs.

Ren's body was completely soaked with rain, but he didn't seem to notice. Anna stared at him silently as she helped him into the house. Tamao and Pirika reemerged accompanied by Yoh and Horo. Tamao wanted to give Ren the towels but stopped because he looked like he was in a trance.

Anna smiled at him weakly. "Let's get you dry, Ren." She said as calmly as possible and put her hand on his shoulder. The response shocked everyone in the room.

Suddenly Ren was collapsed in Anna's arms crying. It didn't bother her that she was becoming wet from his embrace. His cries were hysterical as he scratched and pulled on the back of her shirt. The scene made Pirika and Tamao cry as well. They dropped the towels they were holding and tried to regain their composure. Ren fell down slowly to the floor and pulled Anna with him. She held on to him, rubbing his hair and trying to console him. Yoh was bothered by the scene too. He sat on the floor opposite Anna and embraced them both. "I'm sorry, Ren." He said softly.

Horo watched the three of them in disbelief. "Does this mean it's really over?" he asked reluctantly.

No one responded.


	13. Chapter 13: Reassessment

**Chapter 13: Reassessment**

Tamao was lying in the middle of her bed with her blanket tucked around her hips. She stared blankly at the ceiling. Blinking a few times she could hear muffled noises down the hallway. _There's no way I'm getting any sleep tonight_, she thought to herself.

Outside in the backyard, Horo sat in his usual spot watching the stars. The air was much colder from the rain that had passed earlier. He groaned when the wet grass penetrated his black pajama pants. He didn't move from his spot despite the interruption. He was too angry.

Anna curled on the very edge of the bed, trying to be careful not to wake her husband. She was clutching her pillow as if she needed it to breathe. Yoh was on the other side, his back facing her, and doing the exact same thing except while biting his bottom lip. The noises down the hall were becoming unbearable. They both laid tensely in silence, staring at opposite walls.

Pirika was lying on top of all the covers on her bed. She had been unable to sleep for hours. Her eyes were puffy and sore from crying, and she knew she would not be able to fall asleep. She rolled over on her stomach and stared at her bedroom door. Hearing the constant wailing across the hall gave her chest pains. All she desperately wanted was to go to Ren's room and comfort him any way she could. She rolled on her back again and covered her head with her pillow. His cries somehow breached her blockade and soaked her ears more desperately than before. "That's it!" she yelled.

Ren was buried in his blankets trying to weep quietly. The more he tried to stop crying, the sadder he became. He wrestled with his dark coverings when he heard his door opening. When he finally reached the outer surface there was complete darkness. He couldn't see who had entered his room because the door was closed again.

"Who's there?" he called weakly. She didn't respond. Instead, she sat on the side of his bed and rested her hand on his leg.

"Pirika?" Ren grabbed her arm and hugged her. "What are you doing up?"

"Well you weren't going to let me sleep," she said.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Ren started. Suddenly he felt like an idiot.

"I wouldn't have slept well anyway knowing you were in so much pain.

What can I do to help?" She reached for his arms and sat in his lap.

"There's nothing anyone can do," Ren sighed, "I created this mess so it's up to me to fix it." He tightly wrapped his arms around hers and sighed. "What do you think of me?" he asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" she responded.

"Do you think I'm cold, or weak, or stupid?" Ren asked. Pirika could sense the desperation in his voice.

"I think you're perfect just the way you are." she said, squeezing his hand.

"No one's perfect, Pirika." He said gloomily.

"True, but even so, you don't need to change." Pirika leaned closer to his chest and rested her head against his neck. "If she can't appreciate you for who you are, you don't need her."

"So you're blaming all of this on Yukihiro?" Ren asked apprehensively.

"I'm not saying you don't make mistakes. We all do. I've just changed my mind about her. She doesn't deserve you. You need someone who understands and accepts you the way you are." Pirika tugged one of his blankets and covered herself with it.

"That seems selfish. I've been trying to change that. Yoh tells me all the time that I'm too self-centered. Do you think he's wrong?" Ren grabbed the other side of the blanket and tucked it under his leg.

"Yoh's not a therapist, Ren. What happened to the old Ren who didn't care what people thought about him? I miss him." Pirika shifted her weight and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"You think I've become soft." Ren muttered.

"I think you're letting other people dictate everything you do in your life, and that's not like you. I know you care about her, but don't lose yourself trying to keep her." She said gravely.

"You are absolutely right," Ren said enthusiastically. "I've become a sap for no good reason, and that's not fair to me. I've been going about this the wrong way. So I'm paranoid. She knew that when we met." Ren ranted.

"So what are you going to do?" Pirika asked quietly.

"I'm moving on." He said triumphantly.


	14. Chapter 14: Things Are Changing

Beware of the "out of character"ness...

**Chapter 14: Things Are Changing**

Morning came too quickly for everyone in the house. The sun burned through the windows and bounced off of every possible surface near them. Horo was first to emerge into the downstairs area. He had been there all night. Rubbing his eyes and amazed by how much light was in the house, he sat on the floor in front of the staircase. "Why am I awake?" he asked aloud, "There's no food. No one's awake anyway."

The comfort of hearing his voice was suddenly interrupted by light knocking on the front door.

Horo leaned forward and stared at the door angrily. "Do you know what time it is!" he yelled at it.

The knocking continued.

He leaned back onto the first step and folded his arms in defiance. When he heard the rumbling of footsteps above him he quickly jumped out of the way.

"You didn't hear the door?" Pirika scolded as she ran past him.

"I heard it," he mumbled.

Pirika skipped a few times and opened the door. "Hi!" she said enthusiastically.

"Who is it?" Horo called from the stairs.

"Good morning. I brought you these," Lyserg said with a bouquet of roses in his hand.

"Oh good grief," Horo said under his breath.

"Thank you, Lyserg. They're beautiful," She said then kissed him on the cheek. "Well, come in. I think everyone's awake," Pirika led him to the kitchen so she could put the roses in water.

"Good morning, Horo," Lyserg said timidly.

"Good morning. How are you today?" Horo responded sarcastically. Lyserg didn't catch the mood but Pirika did.

"Well it's a lovely morning and…" Lyserg started.

"We need to talk. Let's go," Pirika grabbed his arm and pulled him into the sitting room.

---

Tamao slowly walked down the hallway in a daze. She didn't get any sleep the night before and it had affected her mood. As she passed Yoh and Anna's bedroom, their door opened abruptly.

"Tamao!" Yoh exclaimed as if he was having a nightmare. "I can't find it!"

Tamao backed away from him and hit the opposite wall behind her. "You're not dressed, Yoh," She said.

"Have you seen it? I've looked for it everywhere and I can't find it! I think someone took it," Yoh ranted, ignoring Tamao.

"Please put a shirt on," Tamao whispered. She didn't blink for a few seconds.

"What?" Yoh looked confused.

"Put on a shirt and I'll help you find what ever you're looking for," Tamao said quickly.

"Oh. Okay," Yoh responded indifferently. He went back into the bedroom and Anna came out.

"Good morning, Tamao," Anna smiled at her.

"Good morning," Tamao said breathlessly.

"What's wrong, well besides the obvious?" Anna asked.

"What are you talking about?" Tamao became defensive.

"I know you have to be upset about Ren. We all are. But it seems like something else is bothering you," Anna responded.

"No. That's it. Just Ren. Nothing else is wrong with me," Tamao said, avoiding her eyes.

Yoh reemerged from the bedroom wearing an orange t-shirt with the white pajama pants he wore previously.

"Come on. We have to find it," he grabbed Tamao's hand and began dragging her down the hallway.

"What are we looking for?" Tamao asked.

"Oh I don't know. He's been rambling all morning," Anna called back to her.

---

"Lyserg, I just don't know what he's going to do," Pirika said. She paced back in forth in front of him with her arms crossed.

"That was horrible, but I think he'll recover from it. Ren's strong. You know that," Lyserg responded cheerfully. He sat on the floor and watched her pace.

"He wasn't strong last night. You should have seen him. He was a total wreck. I couldn't stand to watch him cry like that; it killed me."

"Wait, he was crying?" Lyserg looked shocked, "I don't think I've ever seen him cry before, at least not the way you're describing. That doesn't seem like him."

"I know. Yukihiro has beaten him into this emotional wreck, and I won't even mention what Hao did to him," Pirika frowned.

"What did Hao…? Never mind, don't tell me. I don't want to be angry today." He stood up and held her hands. "Ren will get through this. He's a fighter. There's no way he'll let a girl get him down," he said.

"I hope you're right," she said worriedly.

---

Yukihiro rolled over on her bed and shot up in response to a burning smell. She quickly put on her black robe and ran downstairs to see what was on fire.

"Good morning!" Hao called to her.

"What are you doing?" she scolded. "Something's on fire!"

"Was that a joke?" he asked. "I made some breakfast. Come and eat."

"You never make breakfast. You never eat breakfast," Yukihiro ranted.

"People change. Eat before it gets cold," He grabbed the belt of her robe and led her to the dining room.

"I don't think there's a chance in that happening," She said with a chuckle.

Yukihiro's formal dining room did not fit with the rest of her house. The furniture was big cherry wood, and extremely fancy. Looking at the enormous table and place-settings Hao prepared, she wondered why she bought the table in the first place. Hao pulled out one of the side chairs and motioned for her to sit down. She cooperated and frowned when she looked at her gray dish.

"What is it?" Hao asked as he sat in the chair next to her.

"This looks…interesting. What is it?" she replied hesitantly.

"It's breakfast," He replied blankly.

She stared at the gray heap on her plate and wondered what she was about to ingest. The thought scared her to death.

"Just eat it. It's very tasty," Hao said, noticing her apprehension.

She took a piece of it with her fingers and slowly put it in her mouth.

"Chew it," Hao said slowly.

She looked at him worriedly then began chewing the unknown mass thoughtfully.

"What do you think?" he asked her as she swallowed. She looked at him again and smiled.

"It tastes like chicken," she said relieved, "I'll admit, I expected it to taste like tree bark."

"Well, it's not chicken but I'm glad you like it. I'll get you something to drink," He said as he walked into the kitchen.

"How about some milk," Yukihiro called to him.

"Fine. I'll be right back," she heard from the kitchen.

"Ren always drank milk. He had three glasses a day," she rambled to herself.

"What did you say?" Hao asked, returning with her glass.

"Nothing." she sighed.


	15. Chapter 15: The Right Thing to Do?

**Chapter 15: The Right Thing To Do?**

Anna felt as if she had been walking backwards when she finally reached Ren's bedroom door. She hadn't seen or heard from him since Yoh and Horo had carried him to his room the night before and was apprehensive about what she wanted to say to him. As she raised her fist to knock, she hesitated. _What if he's still a wreck?_ She thought to herself. She knew she wasn't prepared to deal with another break down. As she analyzed the situation her fist slipped from its static position in the air and hit the door.

"Come in," she heard him say. Surprisingly, his voice was calm.

Anna walked slowly and cautiously into Ren's room, quickly focusing her eyes on his expression.

"Close the door behind you," he said without looking at her.

She obeyed and began looking around the room. Ren's things were missing. As she examined the empty room further, she finally noticed Ren had three large suitcases and a duffle bag on his bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked suddenly.

He looked at her as if the question was confusing. "I'm packing, Anna. I thought it was obvious." He replied.

"Yes I see that, but why?" her pitch was higher.

"We've talked about this for a while. I think it's time now. I'm moving back home." He continued to stuff one of the suitcases without looking at her.

"You're moving out? Just like that? When are you planning to do this?" Anna's voice became threatening.

"Jun is meeting me at the airport in five hours." He replied softly as if he didn't want her to hear him.

"You're moving out TODAY! And you didn't feel the need to tell any of us?" Anna was screaming at him.

"I'm telling you now. I'll tell every one else when it's time for me to leave for the airport." He replied.

"So no one will stop you?" Anna replied coldly.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Anna. Just be happy for me. You've wanted me out of the house for a long time anyway. Now you get to finally see me go." Ren rested his hands on top of the suitcase and looked at her.

"You are such a coward." Anna spat.

"I am no coward." Ren groaned.

"So you're not running away? Ren, this is the dumbest thing I've ever seen you do! Don't try and justify it by saying it's what I want. This is about Yukihiro. She broke your heart and now you're running away from the pain. You are unbelievable!" she walked closer to him and punched him in the shoulder.

"This is not about her, Anna. I need to find myself and get the old Ren back. I'm not in pain. I'm perfectly fine. Ren Tao doesn't run away from anything!" He was yelling back at her.

"Well in that case, I'll miss you." She kissed him on the cheek and headed for the door.

"So…you're not going to try to stop me?" Ren asked, puzzled.

"If you say you're okay, I have to believe you. I just hope you're not making a mistake." With that she left the room.

Ren stared at his door in disbelief. He couldn't tell if her last statement was sincere.

Anna ran down the stairs and bolted through the front door of the house. "This is out of control," she said aloud.

---

Horo walked into the kitchen and was delighted to see Tamao cooking. He released a triumphant sigh and stretched out his arms. "Great, I am starving!" he exclaimed.

"It won't be ready for a while, so don't get too excited," Tamao replied dryly.

"Did you see Anna bolt out of the house? I wonder where she went?" Horo said curiously.

"I didn't know she was gone. I was trying to help Yoh find something. We didn't find it." Tamao said.

"What was he looking for?" Horo asked.

"I don't know. Every time I asked him he acted like I was supposed to know," she replied.

"Doesn't matter anyway. Now back to Anna. She seemed upset when she left. I wonder what happened," Horo said. He sat on the floor by the opening.

"Maybe she forgot something at the market," Tamao suggested.

"No. I think it was about Ren. She came out of his room."

"You didn't say she came out of his room. It makes sense now. Maybe they had a fight," Tamao said.

"Why would they have a fight? They seem to be getting along much better than they used to. I don't think that's it," Horo scratched his head.

"Well if you're so concerned about it, Horo, why don't you go upstairs and ask Ren?" Tamao asked blankly.

Horo paused for a few moments. "No, I'll wait. He would just bite my head off." He said after careful deliberation.

"Where's Anna?" Yoh called as he skipped down the staircase. "I didn't even know she left."

Horo and Tamao did not answer him.

---

"I don't want you to braid my hair," Hao protested. "Why do you have to touch it at all?"

"I just like to. I'll take it down as soon as I'm done. Come on, be a good sport. Besides, it will keep me busy," Yukihiro said cheerily.

Hao growled at her and crossed his arms. "You're not touching my hair." He said angrily.

"You mess with my hair all of the time and I don't complain. You even knot it up so I can't comb it and I don't scream at you for it. You have to compromise here." She dropped her bottom lip as to beg him.

"That's not going to work. No one braids my hair. Not even you." He said sharply.

"Liar. I braided your hair last week." She said with a smile.

He opened his mouth to give Yukihiro a rude reply but was interrupted by the sudden beating from the front door.

"Who is that?" Yukihiro stood and walked toward the front of the house.

"I'll get it. Just stay back here." Hao cautioned her.

She stayed in the sitting room where they were and Hao went to the front door. He didn't look before opening it; he didn't care to know who was knocking. The important thing was getting rid of the visitor.

"What do you want," he growled as he swung the door open.

"I want to talk to Yukihiro." was the reply.

"Anna? It's been a while. What brings you here?" Hao said, taking some of the edge off of his voice.

"I want to talk to Yukihiro now. Are you going to move out of the way, or do I have to use other methods?" Anna frowned at him and tapped her right foot on a stone.

"I'm growing tired of this," Hao sighed, "What, are you Ren's bodyguard now? Go home, Anna."

"I'm not leaving until I talk to Yukihiro," Anna said, stepping into his face.

"They're clones!" Hao said, mocking her. "Yukihiro, Ren's bodyguard is here!" he called into the house.

Anna moaned and waited for Yukihiro to emerge from the dark house. Hao did not move at first, but when he locked eyes with Yukihiro he was given the signal to leave.

"Anna, what are you doing here?" Yukihiro asked calmly.

"I'll make this quick, so just listen to me." Anna started. Yukihiro looked at her with confusion.

"As we speak, Ren is packing. Yes, he's packing. Yukihiro, he's moving back home. If he does this, you'll never see him again. Don't say it doesn't matter because you and I both know it does. I'm telling you as a woman who knows what it's like to love some one and be too stubborn to admit it. If you let him get on that plane, you're the biggest fool I know." Anna watched her expression then continued, "I don't want you two to lose out on something great because you have too much pride. Yukihiro, be honest with yourself and get over there!"

"Thanks for coming by," Yukihiro said coldly.

"That's all you have to say to me?" Anna's voice was threatening.

"If Ren wants to leave, I have no right to stop him. I hope he has a safe trip and a good life. Go home, Anna." Yukihiro smiled at her weakly and turned for her door.

"That's it?" Anna called to her.

"Yes. That's it." Yukihiro said without turning around.


	16. Chapter 16: Saying Goodbye

**Chapter 16: Saying Goodbye**

"Did I tell you I love you today?" Lyserg asked softly as he followed Pirika into the main hallway.

"I don't remember hearing that." Her cheeks began to redden.

He suddenly stopped her stride and wrapped his arm around her waist. Leaning closer to her ear he whispered, "I love you."

Pirika smiled at the profession. She had only returned the statement once before and since would reply with the same smile of adoration. "I'll walk you out," she said innocently. They held hands as they walked to the front door, passing Horo on the stairs along the way.

After a long sigh, Horo greeted them. "Oh hi, Lyserg. I didn't know you were still here. You should stay. Dinner will be ready soon." He said as calmly as he could.

"That would be great, Lyserg!" Pirika exclaimed, "Do you have anything to do?"

"It wouldn't matter anyway. Anything can be put on hold for you," he responded warmly.

"Great! I'll tell Tamao you're staying," Horo said as he stood quickly. "Let me go vomit. I mean, go tell her," He said under his breath as he walked into the kitchen.

"Stay here. I'm going to talk to Ren for a few minutes," Pirika said, giving Lyserg a hug.

"Tell him I said hello," He replied.

---

"Where have you been?" Yoh asked worriedly, "I didn't know you were out of the house."

"I was trying to help Ren, but I think I made things worse." Anna sighed.

They were in their bedroom again sitting on the floor. Yoh leaned back against one of the walls and Anna rested her head in his lap weakly.

"Ren's moving out. He didn't want anyone to know until he was walking out of the door, but you should know." Anna sighed.

"He's moving?" Yoh asked puzzled.

---

"Are you out of your mind! What is wrong with you?" Pirika screamed.

"Lower your voice." Ren demanded.

"You can't just leave! Today? That's crazy! I can't believe this!" she said angrily.

"I've made up my mind. It's the right thing to do, Pirika. You're the one who convinced me to find myself again. That's exactly what I'm going to do. If we were ever friends, you would be happy for me." Ren said calmly.

Pirika paced back and forth in front of Ren's bed. "If we were ever friends, Ren, you wouldn't be doing this to me." She sighed, "You can't do this, Ren. Don't do this."

"I have to. If you just took a minute to think about it you would see it's the best thing for everyone." Ren tried to hold her hand but she pulled away.

"Don't leave!" she yelled.

Ren paused for a few moments then frowned. "It's already decided, Pirika. You're not going to change my mind. Just be happy for me." He said sternly.

Pirika frowned and punched him in the shoulder. "I can't be happy for you if I don't agree with you. You're letting her run you off, and I won't believe anything else!" with that wounding comment, she stormed out of his bedroom and slammed the door.

---

"So he's leaving?" Horo asked, confused.

"That's what Anna said," Tamao answered sadly.

"When is he leaving?" Horo asked reluctantly.

"In about thirty minutes."

Horo sighed. "I can't believe he's just packing up and leaving like this. It makes no sense. It's one thing to be upset about a girl, but China's so far away."

"I know." Tamao said dryly, "We really don't have time to say goodbye or anything. Just like that, he'll be gone."

They sat silently at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Ren to bring down the rest of his luggage. The mood of the house was solemnly hopeless. When Anna told Yoh about Ren leaving, it traveled through the house like the rippling waves of an ocean and just as devastating. No one knew what to say or do so they waited for Ren to emerge from his bedroom.

"Is he down here yet?" Pirika asked impatiently.

"No, he hasn't come down yet," Tamao replied, staring at the floor.

"I can't believe he's doing this," Lyserg said, "It's just so sudden."

Horo spun around suddenly at the rumbling sound of the stairs but was disappointed to see Anna descending.

"He'll be down soon. Yoh is going to drop him off at the airport," she said gloomily.

No one acknowledged the comment because it meant Ren was really leaving. Anna paced back and forth in front of Tamao and Horo and crossed her arms over her chest.

A few minutes later, Yoh and Ren emerged from the top of the stairs. Everyone in the room except Pirika watched them as they carried Ren's bags down the stairs and to the front door.

"I'll be back, Anna." Yoh said softly. She nodded in response.

"So I guess this is goodbye." Ren said calmly. He didn't know what else to say. Everyone in the room stared at him with absolute sadness as if waiting for him to change his mind. Everyone except for Pirika, that is.

"Leave already," Pirika responded coldly.

Ren smiled at her and responded, "I'll miss you too." The reply quickly forced her eyes to fill with tears so she darted into the kitchen to hide them. Ren looked around the room one last time and then slowly followed Yoh out of the door.

A few minutes later, the group was startled by random knocking on the front door. Anna, who was the closet, opened it to greet the visitor.

"Yukihiro, what are you doing here?" Anna asked, surprised.

Slumped over and out of breath, she replied, "Ren. Where is he?"


	17. Chapter 17: And Moving On

**Chapter 17: And Moving On**

Anna slowly led Yukihiro into the house, the group staring at her as she made her way to the middle of the room. Yukihiro was breathing so heavily, she could barely speak.

"Did you run all the way here?" Horo asked suddenly.

"The better question is, 'what are you doing here?'" Pirika spat angrily.

Yukihiro sat in a chair and slowly caught her breath. "I need to talk to Ren," she said finally.

"Ren's gone. You drove him away, remember?" Pirika shot again, this time approaching her chair as if to strike her. "Why don't you go home where someone actually wants to see you?!"

"Pirika, that's enough." Anna said sharply. "Go sit with Lyserg."

Pirika stared at Anna briefly as if she had yelled at her then obeyed.

"Anna this is important. I need to talk to him. Where is he?" Yukihiro asked again.

"Yukihiro, he's gone. He and Yoh left for the airport right before you came." Anna said sadly.

Yukihiro gasped slightly by the comment. "No, not yet." She said under her breath, "I have to stop him!"

She quickly stood up from her chair and bolted for the door. As she was about to open it, Anna grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing? Let go of me! I have to stop him!" Yukihiro pleaded.

"I can't let you do this," Anna said gravely. "I don't know what you're thinking about here, but I think you'll make matters worse."

"I know I made a mistake when you came over, Anna. That was my pride getting in the way. I know that now. Please, just let me go." She pleaded again.

"So that's where she went," Horo said softly.

"I'm not going to listen to any more of this!" Pirika yelled, charging Yukihiro again. "I'm not letting you anywhere near him ever again. You don't deserve him!"

Anna released her grip from Yukihiro and attempted to restrain Pirika by grabbing her arms. "Sit down now!" she said angrily.

Lyserg stood quickly to pull Pirika away from them. "What are you doing?" he scolded.

"We just don't understand any of this, Yukihiro." Tamao said, "Why does Hao live with you?"

"I don't have time for this. I have to stop Ren! Don't you see what's happening here? If I don't catch him and he gets on that plane, I'll lose him forever!" Yukihiro cried. "I have to go!"

"What if you've already lost him?" Anna replied.

Yukihiro paused at the door and looked at her. "Are you trying to hurt me?" she asked as if wounded.

"What makes you think that finding him will change anything? I'm not trying to be mean, Yukihiro. I just want you to be rational here." Anna walked closer to the door and attempted to guide Yukihiro back in with the others.

"I have to risk it. He has to know how I feel," Yukihiro said quickly while reopening the door. The person outside startled her.

"Hao, what are you doing here?" Anna asked loudly.

"Who?" Horo asked, jumping from his seat.

Yukihiro looked at him with utter confusion then anger. "So you followed me?" she asked challengingly.

"I'm sure this has been great fun for all of you," Hao called out to the house, "but Yukihiro has to leave now." He grabbed her arm and forced her roughly out of the house and into the front yard.

Anna, who was closest to the door, did not protest the action. Instead she closed the door and sighed. "Maybe this was a good thing," she said.

---

"So are we going to talk about this or not?" Yoh asked uneasily.

"Talk about what?" Ren replied.

"We're sitting in the airport waiting on a Tao jet to whisk you away. You're actually asking me that?" Yoh began rocking his leg impatiently.

"There's nothing to discuss, Yoh. This was a well planned decision," Ren started, ignoring Yoh's sighs, "and I fully intend to board that jet when my sister arrives."

They sat in silence for a few moments, side by side. Yoh scratched his head and shifted his body weight.

"Manta doesn't even know you're leaving." He said suddenly.

"I'll write him a letter," Ren replied.

"Ryu doesn't know either. What if he comes by the house looking for you?" Yoh shot back.

"I'll write him a letter too."

"What if Faust decides to fly in?"

"A letter, Yoh."

"And Chocolove? He doesn't…" Yoh started.

"Stop it!" Ren yelled, cutting him off. "I'm getting on that plane, Yoh. Stop trying to make me feel bad."

They sat in silence a few moments more. Yoh scratched his head again.

"What about Yukihiro?" he asked lowly.

Ren sighed and closed his eyes. "It doesn't matter at this point, Yoh. You won't convince me I'm making the wrong decision."

He paused.

"I'll miss all of you, but it won't be as if we'll never see each other again. I'll fly in occasionally and I'll write. Now stop this."

---

"What are you doing here, Hao?" Yukihiro screamed.

"You were right. I followed you." He said calmly.

"You're not going to change my mind about this," she said angrily.

"I'm not trying to. I'm just wondering why you're wasting your time here when Ren's at the airport. Do you want to get there or not?" Hao said calmly, holding out his hand.

"What?" Yukihiro was confused. "You came to help me? But…but you hate Ren?"

"Yes, and I love you. Now come on, you're wasting time. I'll take you to the airport." He said with a slight smile.

Yukihiro embraced him tightly. "Thank you so much!" she cried. "Wait. You don't have a car." She pulled back and stared at him in confusion.

Hao returned her stare with a sly smile. "Don't worry about it. Let's go."

---

"If you say it's the right decision for you, I guess I can't argue," Yoh said, defeated.

"Finally," Ren said under his breath. "Don't worry Yoh. I won't forget about you."

"Ren!"

"Did you hear that?" Yoh asked, looking around the busy sitting area.

"It's Jun!" Ren said ecstatically.

"Hello Ren!" Jun said when she approached the two. She kissed her brother on the cheek despite his discontent.

"Hi Jun," Yoh said, attempting to sound happy.

"Hello, Yoh. How are things at home?" she replied cheerily.

"Oh, they're great." He lied.

A random servant gathered Ren's bags and disappeared. Jun stared at Ren and Yoh and smiled.

"I'll let you two talk. Ren and I have a long time to catch up. I'll see you on the plane." Jun said with a smile. She waved at Yoh and followed the servant.

"So. I guess this is goodbye." Ren said as calmly as possible. He stretched out his hand to shake Yoh's, but Yoh hugged him instead. Ren normally hated when Yoh was affectionate in this way, but today he welcomed it and returned the embrace.

"I'll miss you, Ren." Yoh said softly.

"I'll miss you too." Ren replied.

When Yoh finally released him, he smiled, hit him hard on the back, and disappeared in the crowed.

Suddenly, Ren was alone. He felt awkward for no real reason. "Just go." He said aloud. As he made his way through the crowd he stopped when he heard someone calling his name.

"Ren! REN!!! Wait!!!"

He spun around quickly to see who wanted to talk to him so badly. When he saw the woman with long brown hair standing in front of him he froze.

"Yukihiro?" he couldn't say anything else. For a few moments, he couldn't think.

"Ren, please wait." She repeated. "I have to tell you something. I know what the trouble is now."

"What?" He found himself only being able to respond one word at a time.

"I'm sorry. I've been running for so long. It's time we both just stop running Ren. I love you."

Ren was unable to decipher the rest of what she said, for he only heard the last three words. The words he had longed to hear her say.

"Please say something," Yukihiro said timidly. She approached him slowly and became dangerously close to his face.

Ren did not speak. Instead he pulled her closer to his body and pressed his lips against hers.

Yukihiro welcomed this passionate kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt accomplished. She felt loved.

When he released her, he brought his lips slowly to her ear. She waited impatiently, knowing he was about to say something spectacular.

With the greatest warmth and endearment he whispered, "Goodbye, Yukihiro."

He released her completely and stood in front of her for a few seconds. Then, he smiled weakly and continued his trek to the plane.

She watched him as he walked away from her with her eyes wide-eyed. The tears quickly filled her eyes and overflowed onto her cheeks. With her hands trembling violently and her teeth chattering uncontrollably she whispered, "Goodbye Ren."

**THE END**


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